Search and Rescue, Indeed
by Sarae64
Summary: Sam learns her skills set is needed elsewhere. Sam/Jack, Romance, Complete
1. Chapter 1

Title: Search and Rescue, Indeed  
Author: Sarae  
Status: Complete  
Rating: T  
Category: Romance  
Pairings: Sam/Jack  
Spoilers: Minor ones for Atlantis' Search and Rescue  
Warning: Character death (not one of the main…six?)  
Season: I don't know…some time after Continuum?  
Summary: Sam learns her skills set is needed elsewhere.  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or settings, but occasionally, they provide a wonderful escape for me. So, thank you to those who have had a hand in creating them. No infringement is intended.  
Author Note: The tree was bleeding for this one, i.e. this is pure Sap. There are a couple of lovely ladies who deserve so much more than just a few words of thanks here, but this is all I can offer now…Audrey and Rosemary…Thank you!

Search and Rescue, Indeed  
© 2008 Sarae

The warm, familiar feeling she initially felt as she broke the terminal event horizon and viewed the cold concrete of the embarkation room was replaced rather abruptly when she saw Richard Woolsey standing at the end of the ramp. He was among the last people she expected to greet her upon her return.

"Colonel Carter," he said as she neared the end of the ramp.

"Mr. Woolsey," she replied. "How are you?"

"Very well. Thank you for asking."

And because she was suddenly feeling that something rather odd was happening, she went phishing. "So is this whole evaluation process gonna take very long? I mean, there's a lot of work to be done on Atlantis and I'm kind of anxious to get back."

Woolsey replied, "I'm sure you are. However, the I.O.A. has decided that perhaps someone with a different skills set would be more suited to lead the Atlantis expedition now."

Oddly enough, his tone sounded far less condescending than in many of their previous encounters. Still, she was stunned by his statement. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"I'm here to inform you that, effective immediately, you are being removed from command."

Stunned…way beyond stunned now. Effective immediately…

She wasn't sure how long it took for her brain to form the words. "Um, who-who's replacing me?"

"As a matter of fact, _I_ am," he said. His tone was neutral and his gaze was steady.

"Wow!" she thought, "What has been happening while I've been away?"

Before she could gather her thoughts to respond to the news she'd just been slammed with, she heard a familiar voice calling her name from behind. Cam had entered the 'gate room and was rapidly closing the distance between the door and where Sam still stood in stunned silence.

"Sam! You're finally here," he said as he walked up took her hand to shake it. "We've been waiting for you. Come on, we don't have much time." He gestured for her to precede him through the door he'd just entered.

"What?" she said as she followed, slowly. Her brow furrowed in confusion and she squinted in an effort to bring her eyes back into focus. She glanced back over her shoulder and noticed that Woolsey was now staring toward the Stargate with his right hand grasping his chin. She thought he looked rather lonely standing there. She was seriously beginning to wander if she'd passed through a solar flare on her journey back, because this really felt like an alternate reality to her.

By the time they'd reached the elevator intersection, Sam had snapped out of her fog and wanted some answers. She stopped and twirled on Cam who had to stop rather abruptly to keep himself from slamming into her.

"What the hell is going on, Cam?" she said with a little more than irritation ringing through her tone.

"I've been waiting for you to arrive. We've got a plane to catch. You're pretty well booked up for today, so let's get going," he said as he continued around her to the elevator.

She watched him enter the elevator and turn to hold the door open, obviously waiting for her to join him. "So, there's no debriefing, no medical exam, no time to change? Seriously Cam…what the hell is going on?"

"I've said all I can for now, Carter. Let's go," he said and invited her in with his arm.

"I'm not going anywhere until I know what's going on," she said and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Don't make me come and drag you on this elevator," he said with a smile.

"Like you could," she responded.

"Oh, I could," he said. Then he rolled his eyes. "If I zatted you first." Before she could protest further, his expression softened and he spoke again. "Look, Sam. I know you've just had the shock of your life. We were all just as stunned as you when we heard the news. None of us could bear to be in there. We decided that duty was all Woolsey's. But as bad as that felt in there…"

He paused and gave her a mischievous grin. "Sam, if you don't get in this elevator with me right now, I promise you're going to regret it."

"That's it?" she asked. "That's all you're going to tell me?"

"For now," he said with a determined expression on his face. "Sam, do you trust me?"

She sighed. This day was _so_ not turning out the way she'd expected.

"OK, ok..." She held up her hands in mock surrender and walked onto the elevator. She was still quite agitated and more than a little irritated, but she did trust Cameron Mitchell. Her irritation might have turned to curiosity if she had seen the self-satisfied grin that graced Mitchell's face when she finally walked onto the elevator and stood behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

"Who's footin' the bill for this?" Sam asked after they'd been in the air for a while. She was not used to flying in fancy jets when being transported by the Air Force. Cam just smiled.

"May I ask where we're going?"

"You can ask," he replied.

She was really beginning to hate that smug grin he'd plastered on his face since they left the mountain. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked.

"Oh…you have _no_ idea," he said.

She realized she was getting nothing more out of him, so she sat back and tried to relax. Being back on Earth felt rather surreal even before she'd been removed from command and whisked off on a Lear jet. Now she was being kept in the dark by one of her former teammates. Something was up. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. It was figuring out exactly what was up that was driving her crazy…that and still trying to sort out why she would not be returning to Atlantis.

She couldn't help thinking about how the Atlantis team would react to the news that Woolsey was coming back to replace her. And then she had to suppress giggle a little when she pictured the look she imagined on the new leader's face when he and Ronan finally met. She'd sort through all of that later. After she figured out what was going on here…

Her innate sense of direction told her they were flying east. There was really only one place she could imagine they'd be heading…and if her hunch was correct, she had a few hours left in the air. Then her pulse quickened as thoughts of _him_ invaded her already scattered thoughts. "Don't…"she thought and she started looking around something, anything to distract her. She'd become practiced at finding ways to block thoughts of Jack O'Neill from her mind during her year in Atlantis.

* * *

She wasn't entirely surprised when they landed at Andrews. She was surprised when Vala greeted them on the tarmac.

"Well, you certainly took your time getting here," she said as she stood with her hands on her hips.

"Not my fault," Cam said as he held up his hands to ward off further recriminations. "Sam was a little late arriving at the SGC."

"I'm afraid you'll have to skip the mudbath, now," she said and then sighed. "And if we don't get a move on, you'll be missing the pedicure next." Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked in a brisk manner toward a waiting limousine.

"Mudbath? Pedicure?" she asked while giving Cam a quizzical look.

"Hey, from here on out, this is Vala's show," he said while taking a step back and raising his arms in mock surrender. "I've done my part." He then gestured for her to enter the limo and climbed in after her.

"Vala," Sam said as she settled into her seat, "why are we getting a pedicure?"

Vala's eyes widened and she turned to Mitchell. "You managed to get her here without telling her?"

Cameron responded, "I told you I wouldn't spill the beans."

"I'm impressed," Vala said.

"OK, you two," Sam said, "what's up?"

"You think it's okay if we tell her now?" Vala asked Cam.

"Oh, I don't know," he said. "Why don't you wait until she's in the spa robe and less inclined to bolt." He turned and gave Sam another smug smile.

"Yeah," Vala agreed. "That is a good idea."

"But," Cameron interjected, "I want to see the look on her face when you tell her and if we wait until she's in the robe…"

"Right," said Vala while nodding her head. She feigned contemplation as she put a finger to her lips.

"For cryin' out loud! I'm sitting right here," Sam exclaimed after enduring several minutes of them pretending she wasn't in the car. "What's going on here? Have I really been relieved of command? Or is that part of whatever this elaborate…thing is?" She couldn't help but feel a little bit of hope rising in her…about more things than one.

Cam's expression turned serious. "No, Sam, I'm afraid Woolsey _is_ being sent to take over Atlantis. And this isn't some elaborate hoax or practical joke." He looked at Vala, who nodded and closed her eyes.

"You just have good timing," Cam said and then he smiled brightly. "There's a big soiree in DC tonight and you're going."

"Ugh," Sam said before she realized it. "A party? Tonight? Is it formal?"

"Oh yes…all the pomp and circumstance of a genuine DC shindig," Cam said, his mood still seeming far brighter than the occasion warranted in Sam's opinion.

"I've picked out a gown for you," Vala said while grinning from ear to ear. "And we're going to be pampered in preparation."

Sam saw the expression of utter delight on Vala's face and managed to smile weakly in response.

"Oh, come on, Sam!" Cam exclaimed, taking his enthusiasm level up a notch. "I promise you'll have fun."

"Yeah, right," Sam said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm _so_ in the mood for a big formal DC event."

She leaned back in the car seat and closed her eyes. This day was just getting weirder and weirder. If she had to be in DC, did she have to be in the one place she knew _he'd_ avoid at all costs?

Then it occurred to her she had no idea why she was attending a party. She leaned forward suddenly and asked, "Why?"

"Why what?" Cam asked.

"What kind of party is it? A reception for foreign dignitaries?" Sam asked. She could just imagine another party for ambassadors of another country to join the secret group of those who knew of the Stargate's existence. It wasn't uncommon for the President to request SGC personnel to be paraded about at such gatherings and she felt like she'd done her duty in this regard. Enough was enough. Especially now.

"Oh, no," Cam said and then stole a knowing look with Vala. "It's a retirement party."

"Oh," Sam said, her brows rising in surprise. "Who's retiring?"

Vala's expression sobered a bit and then she smiled ever so slightly, "General O'Neill."


	3. Chapter 3

The past few hours had gone by quickly and to be honest she didn't remember much of it. She'd felt like a cross between some reality-tv show participant and fairy-tale princess. People had mussed and fussed over her toe nails, finger nails, hair and make-up and now Vala was dragging her to a dressing room to show her the gown she would be wearing.

Part of her had wanted to bolt when they arrived at the spa…and she almost had. But her two crafty abductors had known just what to say to put her brain into a complete jumble of confusion, excitement, fear, anticipation and curiosity. So, she'd allowed herself to be dragged about in somewhat of a fog as they put her through treatments that would rival a Hollywood star preparing for the Oscars.

She did balk when she first saw the dress Vala had chosen. She'd felt it revealed far more cleavage than she was comfortable showing. She'd asked why they hadn't brought her dress uniform instead, but got some song and dance about how they couldn't find it. Given the choice of going in the clothes she'd worn on the jet or this dress...or just not going at all, she'd finally given in…because after nearly a year away, she was going to see _him_.

So it was that she found herself looking in a floor length mirror and scrutinizing every square inch of herself. They were trying to rush her, but she wasn't going anywhere until she double-checked that everything was where it belonged. Her gold-colored, beaded gown and matching gold strappy heels were definitely red-carpet worthy. While she'd grown accustomed to her longer hair, she'd never before seen it cascading in so many curls down her back. Her make-up was subtle, but enhanced her blue eyes. If she was honest with herself, she looked far more glamorous than she thought was possible.

That's when the butterflies began dancing in her stomach in earnest. They'd been flitting around here and there up until this moment, but now they were doing a rumba or a pasa doble. But she realized that she also had not been thinking about why she was no longer in command of the Atlantis project for several hours now…which wasn't entirely bad. She could figure that all out later…

"Sam!" Vala said for the…oh Sam had lost count. "We're late. We have to go now."

"I'm coming," Sam said with one last glance in the mirror. She was really grateful for the wrap Vala had included with the gown. She had a feeling she would not be taking it off all evening.

Cam was waiting with the limo door open as they exited the spa. It was then that Sam stopped to look at her two companions. Cam was brilliant in his dress uniform complete with the Medal of Honor around his neck and Vala was resplendent in an emerald green gown. Vala hurried into the limo and Sam followed at a slower pace. Cameron entered when both ladies were seated.

As the limo started on its final leg of this journey, Cam leaned over and whispered in Sam's ear, "You look marvelous."

Sam smiled and whispered back, "You look pretty marvelous yourself."

"What about me?" asked Vala while glaring at Cameron.

"Vala, you always look marvelous," Cam said.

"Damn straight," she said and grinned.

Sam was sure Vala and Cam continued to talk, but if asked, she couldn't recall what they said. She had retreated into her own thoughts. She'd hoped for a chance to see - Jack, was it really just Jack now? – while she was visiting, but she certainly had not planned it to be on her first day back. And not under these circumstances. Then she wondered again and who had conspired to make all this happen.

"Sam?" Cam said as he put his hand on hers to get her attention. "You okay?"

"Hmm?" Sam said, breaking out of her reverie. "Yes," she said with a smile, but she could tell by the look on his face that he was unconvinced.

"You won't be sorry you came," he said in a reassuring tone.

"No," she said with more conviction. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."


	4. Chapter 4

It seemed like it took forever to get through security and reach the ballroom doors. The sheer number of people in the elaborately lit and decorated ballroom was astounding. She suspected that more than half of these people didn't even know who General Jack O'Neill was. That was just one part of Washington that she didn't miss. Politics had never been her thing. She wondered, not for the first time, how anyone had gotten Jack to agree to this.

The trio had barely stepped in the door when a waiter took the wrap Sam had been clinging to and left her feeling nearly naked in a crowd of strangers. She mustered all the courage she could find and forced herself to stand straight, head held high, with a pleasant, if phony, smile plastered on her face.

Several people greeted them as they made their way through the crowd. Sam was not pleased to find that many of the male guests found it difficult to raise their eyes from her chest. She vowed to pay Vala back one day, but had not yet decided how that might happen.

Then the evening turned around as she spied Teal'c (or rather Murray) and Daniel talking to each other beside a table near the center of the room. She felt like running to greet them, but settled for excusing herself several times as she move quickly in their direction. Cam and Vala were not far behind.

"Teal'c, Daniel," Sam said with a wide and genuine smile on her face.

The smiles that were returned to her were just as genuine and just as wide.

"Sam!" Daniel said as he pulled her into a bear hug. "It's so good to see you."

"Colonel Carter," Teal'c said, "I am pleased to see that you were able to be here."

"These two turkeys didn't tell me you were going to be here," Sam said, pointing a thumb in Cam's and Vala's direction.

Daniel stepped back a bit and held Sam's hands at arm's length. Then he whistled and grinned even broader. "You look…Wow!"

Sam felt a blush rise on her cheeks as he regarded her attire. "I didn't pick this out, Daniel."

"Well, kudos to whomever did," he said.

"Thank you," Vala said while sounding a bit indignant.

They talked excitedly, catching each other up. Teal'c relayed greetings from Bra'tac, spoke with joy and pride about Ryac and Kar'yn and with uninhibited affection about Ishta. Sam noted the playful bickering between Daniel and Vala had continued in her absence. She was pretty sure it had become so much more, but neither was being overt about it here.

"Have you seen Jack yet?" Daniel asked.

"No," Sam said and the moment of calm she'd felt in the companionship of her former teammates slipped away. Her stomach started twisting in knots again and she couldn't decide if it was excitement or nervousness that had displaced the calm…or some combination of the two.

"He's around here somewhere," Daniel said as he turned his head to scan the crowd.

"Indeed. We spoke with him not more than 10 minutes ago," Teal'c said.

"And I'd pay big bucks to see his face when he sees you," Daniel said with a cheeky grin.

"I can't believe they got him to agree to this," Sam said while trying to ignore Daniel's last statement. Though she suspected the heat she felt rising in her cheeks caused a blush that probably gave her away.

"Well, I get the feeling the President can be quite persuasive when he puts his mind to it," Daniel said.

It was then that she saw him, standing at one end of the head table, conversing with people she did not know. For her, the rest of the room disappeared, her colleagues included. He was there in his dress uniform, tugging absent mindedly at his collar as he nodded and conversed.

She stood watching, feeling somewhat mesmerized by his presence and at the same time concerned. He looked tired…really tired and far older than she remembered. He'd put on a little weight and he looked downright miserable. Still, he looked wonderful to her.

Then, almost as if he felt her gaze boring a hole through him, he turned and started scanning the crowd in her direction. Just then, the President's aide blew into the podium microphone and asked everyone to take their seats. Daniel and Teal'c had already found their table so they lead the way for Sam, Cam and Vala.

Their table was not in the first row, which was not a shock to any of them. Why would they want the General's closest friends to be near the head table? Their location was just fine for Sam, however. She had a clear view of him and she knew his view was obscured by the lighting that was concentrated on the head table.

A delicious meal was served, but Sam ate very little, preferring instead to observe Jack picking at his food as he waited for the inevitable roasting that would conclude the meal. Sadly, those who spoke, though eloquent, said nothing about the man she knew. There were canned platitudes and clichéd jokes, but all of the anecdotes that would have made his truly about Jack could not be told. Which, she supposed was why none of them had been asked to speak.

When it came time for him to speak, he kept it short and polite. She couldn't help but chuckle when she saw him visibly relax as he walked back to his seat from the podium. He looked at his watch for the umpteenth time that evening and she saw his brow furrow in a frown.

Then he turned to scan the crowd in the direction of their table through squinted eyes. She figured he was looking for Daniel and Teal'c so they could help him make the rest of the evening tolerable. She saw the double-take when he finally spotted her and she wasn't prepared for the look on his face when his eyes met hers.

Sam felt her cheeks flush and her pulse start to race. She could see his whole attitude change in an instant. He looked less tired and more like the kinetic bundle of energy she had come to know…and love. He was up and moving in seconds, causing heads to turn at his table. More than once his wayward feet nudged the legs of a chair and he was forced to pause and apologize.

She could feel the excitement rising in her as he walked closer and closer to the table. When he stopped on the other side and stammered out a greeting, she decided there was no need to get back at Vala after all.

"Carter?" he said, cocking his head slightly to the side, "That you?"

"Yes, sir," she said and felt the heat rise in her cheeks again.

"How'd…" He stopped. "When…" He was having a hell of a time putting a sentence together. "Glad you could make it," he said at last.

"Me too," she said.

"How much longer do you have to wear the uniform, sir?" Cam asked.

"I will officially be retired at midnight," he said with a grin.

"Congratulations, sir," Cam said while standing and reaching out to shake Jack's hand.

"Thanks, Mitchell," Jack said. He was trying to be polite and make small talk, she could tell. She got the distinct impression he wanted nothing more than to grab her hand and drag her out the nearest exit.

"It's a lovely party, General," Vala said. "The food is glorious."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it, Ms. Mal Doran," Jack said with a nod of his head in her direction. "I can't wait to get out of here."

When her body moved to stand in front of him, she couldn't recall having made the decision to move. Just then, the music started up. Jack turned back to Sam and held out his hand. "Wanna dance, Colonel?"

Sam blushed again and then reached out to take his hand, "I'd be delighted, sir."

"You know, in three hours or less, you're going to have to drop the sir," he said has he led her out to the dance floor. His hand pressed lightly on the small of her back and that touch took her breath away. Yep, she was actually going to have to find a way to thank Vala for this dress after all. The backless gown had proved more than adequate.

"Works for me," she said as she reached the dance floor, turned to face him and found a way to breathe again. "I can start now, if you'd like."

"I'd like," he said with a grin. She didn't know what song was playing and she didn't care. He was holding her in his arms and they were dancing. That alone had made the previous events of this bizarre day wash away. Yep, surreal did not even begin to describe the events of this day so far. She had a sneaking suspicion there was more to come.

They started dancing with a bit of separation between them, but before long, they had moved together and were dancing, literally, cheek-to-cheek. She had a lot of questions running through her mind, but she suppressed her urge to ask them, opting instead to whisper an account of the day's adventure in his ear. His murmured acknowledgements caused his slightly stubbled cheek to tickle her in just the right way and his scent left her feeling heady as they swayed together in a very small area of the dance floor.

Far too soon for her liking, they were interrupted when President Hayes and his wife danced over beside them. "Leave it to you to find the most beautiful Colonel in the room, O'Neill," the President said. Sam smiled graciously as the President introduced her to his wife.

After they exchanged a few pleasantries, President and Mrs. Hayes drifted off to another couple. The spell of those first moments on the dance floor had been broken, however, and she let her curiosity get the better of her.

"Retirement, huh?" she asked. "I have to admit I was shocked when I heard the news today."

"Yeah, well…I'm getting too old for this shit," he said.

"Not so old," Sam said her voice softening.

"I'm just…tired," he admitted and she was pleasantly surprised at his honesty. "And to be honest, the whole thing with Hammond about did me in. Life's too short. I've done my duty."

She was unaccustomed to this kind of talk from him, at least when they weren't alone. It was as if he couldn't muster the energy needed for the sarcasm, the wit, the joviality he usually insisted on displaying in their public companionship. To say the least, she was concerned by his mood. "What thing with Hammond?" she asked.

He stopped dancing and stood at arm's length, scrutinizing her face. Then his eyes retreated further under his brow. "C'mere," he said, leading her away from the dance floor and toward a couple of chairs in a corner of the dance floor that was shrouded in shadow.

"Let's sit," he said as he motioned for her to take a seat. "Sometimes I forget you being way out of touch means you miss more than witty reparte."

That feeble attempt at the self-effacing talk she recognized and the smile he gave her did little to alleviate her concern. She knew something bad had happened, but she could never have guessed what she heard next.

"George…" he said and then paused. Whatever he was trying to say was obviously difficult for him. "He's gone, Sam." The sorrow she saw in his eyes was echoed by that which filled her heart. Really? Was this really her Earth? She really didn't know how much more she could take.

"Gone?" she asked. Suddenly, she was glad he'd made her sit down first. Her legs felt like Jello and her hands were trembling. "Dead?" she asked and he nodded. "How?"

"Heart attack," he said. "He didn't suffer. It was very sudden."

"Oh, my God…" Sam said as she looked upward to try and keep the tears she felt forming from trailing down her face. She failed in that attempt. She'd officially had one too many surprises for the day. No more, she wanted no more.

"When?" she asked as she dabbed at her eyes with the back of her index fingers. Jack offered her his handkerchief, which she gladly accepted.

"Three weeks ago," he answered.

She blew out a breath through pursed lips.

"The next day, the IOA informed us of their decision about Woolsey," he said. She could hear the contempt in his voice. "That was the last straw. Just so you know…being _the Man_ does not mean you get to do whatever you want. As a matter of fact, it's more often like beating your head against a wall. I have nothing more to offer here. I was in the President's office with my letter of resignation the next day."

"I'm surprised he accepted it," she said and sniffed.

"He didn't at first," Jack said. "But I can be pretty persuasive myself, when I wanna."

Of that, she had no doubt.

"This whole farce here," he said while gesturing with this hand, "was just one last concession I had to make."

"Ah," Sam said with a nod.

He looked at his watch again and the frown returned. "You gonna be okay?" he asked. His expression softened and her tears threatened to return.

"Yeah," she said and sniffed again. "I just wish…"

"He knew you loved him, Sam," Jack said. "That's all we can hope for when the time comes."

She nodded and said, "Thanks." She was working hard to find a way to push her grief aside. Now was not the time or place for it, but she was finding it difficult to cast off.

He pulled his chair around to sit adjacent to her. "C'mere," he said and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She laid her head on his shoulder and let the tears come. Memories of the day her father died came flooding back and then memories of the day Janet died followed. He'd been the one she turned to for all of it.

Jack didn't say anything. He just held her and let her sob against his pressed and immaculate jacket. How long they stayed like that, she couldn't say. Eventually, she found the resolve to 

move past the tears. She sat upright, looked into his soft brown eyes and was overcome at how much she'd missed this man and just how far she'd buried her desire to be with him.

"I'm sorry," she said at last.

"Don't be," he said. "You've had quite a day."

"Yep," she agreed. "I feel like I've been jumping through the 'gate from one planet to the next all day long. Quite the rollercoaster ride…"

"You must be exhausted," he said.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "In fact, I'm more than fine," she said and smiled.

"Yes, you are," he agreed.

"Jack," she said and noted the satisfied smile he gave her in response. "What happens after midnight?"

"I turn into a pumpkin," he said and then narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. She'd seen that look before and it always sent shivers down her spine.

"Everything okay over here?" Daniel asked as he and the others started pulling up chairs nearby.

"Yeah," Jack answered. "She didn't know about George."

"Oh," Daniel said.

"Wow, yeah," said Cam with a contrite look on his face. "Sorry about that, Sam. There just wasn't a good time today…"

"It's okay," she replied. "You just miss some things when you're in another galaxy."

"Boy howdy," said Jack as he gave her hand a little squeeze. He looked at his watch again and then back out at the dwindling crowd. "Whatta ya say we blow this popstand? I've got Guinness back at my place and I can't wait to get out of this straight jacket."

Sam said nothing, preferring to wait for others to respond. After all, she was basically abducted and brought here. She had no luggage, no place to stay (that she was aware of) and had no transportation. Hell, she didn't have a wallet, cash, ID…all of that occurred to her at that moment.

"I appreciate the offer, General," Cam said while tugging at his own collar. "But, I'm bushed. I'm gonna decline. Got an early flight out tomorrow."

Jack nodded and shook Cam's hand. "Thanks again for coming and…" he moved his eyes toward Sam and nodded slightly in her direction.

"You're welcome," Cam said. Then he smiled and bowed slightly as he backed away.

Sam knew Daniel was observing them all, as he often does. She silently pleaded with him to accept Jack's offer. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when he finally spoke.

"Uh, Guinness sounds good, Jack. Besides, I'd like to see your swanky digs before you pack it in."

"Swanky digs?" Jack said with a squinty-eyed look in Daniel's direction.

Daniel just shrugged. "So, we goin' or what?"

"Yeah," said Jack as he stood up and looked around. "Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

While they were driving in Jack's car, Sam was oblivious to the conversation going on around her. She was aware that Daniel and Vala were _discussing_ something, but she comprehended none of it. Her normally multi-tasking brain had been reduced to a single focus. She was busy watching Jack as he loosened his tie and collar. Then she added one more task as she began running options through her head. Should she ask what she was expected to do after this party ended? When was she due back at Cheyenne? How was she getting there? She knew she probably should ask, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

After they arrived and entered Jack's apartment, she busied herself with covertly exploring the place and keeping the others supplied with Guinness. Daniel and Vala imbibed quite a bit. She, Jack and Teal'c kept it to one. She suspected Jack was thinking along the same lines she was because she could feel his eyes on her even when she wasn't looking back at him. There was no way she was going to dull her senses this night. Anticipation was building in her as she waited for Teal'c to decide Daniel and Vala were ready to find some place to sleep it off.

Oddly enough, he waited until midnight and then called for a cab. Sam expected an awkward moment when they would expect her to join them. It never happened. It was as though they all expected her to stay behind.

She wasn't sure if she should be insulted by that group assumption, or touched by the effort they'd all undertaken to get her here. But when Jack turned back to her after locking the others out, she put such thoughts from her mind. She no longer cared what they thought.

Had they really been apart for the better part of two years? How? How busy had she kept to keep from thinking about him? Hadn't she really given her heart to this man many years ago? Wasn't that why the thing with Pete had never felt…right?

Thinking? Had she been thinking? Those amazingly communicative brown eyes were looking her up and down. That incredibly sexy mouth was curving in a tantalizing smile.

"Did I mention that you look…I have no words," he said.

"Did I mention that I've missed you more than I thought possible?" she asked.

"Did I mention that when I saw you tonight I felt alive for the first time in…ages?" he asked. Then he moved closer, but she closed the space between them, reaching up to gently pull his mouth to hers.

Soft, warm, delicious, arousing, the adjectives came rushing into her head. She felt the heat where his hands grasped her hips and urged her body closer to his. Then there was even greater heat as his hands moved around her to caress her bare back. Her heart was beating fast and places on her body were starting to tingle.

She pulled back, ending the kiss temporarily and feeling breathless. "How did we _not do this_ for all of these years?" she asked as she leaned her forehead against his tried to slow her breathing.

"Because you're the strongest person I've ever known," he said as he lifted her chin with his hand and brushed his lips against hers, softly, briefly.

"Because I'd do anything to keep from hurting you in any way," he said. His lips lingered on hers, but not long enough.

"Because I love you more than life itself," he said and kissed her again, quite soundly.

"And I love you," she said as she felt her breaths coming faster and shallower. Then she took his collar in her hands and led him to the couch, because if he kissed her like that again, she wasn't sure her legs would continue to hold her.

Never in her life had she experienced the sensations that were coursing through her body at this moment. She was not inexperienced in the area of intimate physical contact, but she had never felt about another human being the way she felt for Jack. The enhancement those feelings brought made all the difference in the world. She was so close to losing herself in this man and while that scared her just a little bit, it exhilarated her even more. In her heart she knew this…this was right.

"Jack," she said, breathlessly and barely pulling her lips from his.

"Sam?" he asked before closing the space between their lips again.

"Can we get this dress off before I ruin it completely?" she asked.

"Gladly," he said as he pulled back and waggled his eyebrows at her. Then with what looked like some effort, he stood up and offered his hand to her. "Let's take this some place more comfortable and private while we're at it."


	6. Epilogue

Several hours later as she lay entwined with him, exhausted and more relaxed than she'd felt in years, her thought processes finally returned. Jack was sleeping rather soundly, having drifted off some time earlier. The term mind-blowing just started to describe the time they'd shared in this place. The sensations literally wiped everything else from her mind. As fast as things had been moving in the living room, the slower things went when they reached the bedroom.

She watched the lazy rise and fall of his chest and lightly caressed the long and nimble fingers that had touched her in all the right places and in all the right ways. She marveled at how well they knew each other. More than a decade of life and death experiences had taught them more than most people ever learn about each other. But, it had not taught them about what the other liked in the realm of intimate contact. So, they taught each other this night.

Their familiarity with each other had been their advantage. They were completely relaxed with each other. The openness and honesty were unprecedented in her experience and she knew that waiting had been the right choice all along. If they had done this before, working together would have been dangerous, distracting…impossible. Dealing with the feelings they could not fight was hard enough. Dealing with the depth of the feeling she held now…nope, wouldn't have worked.

So, what was next? His path was set. He was done saving the world. What about her?

They'd dealt with the Goa'uld and the Ori. The Wraith? Well, apparently, the powers that be thought her skills set was no longer needed. And the Wraith were still in another galaxy after all. Hmm…was that so bad? What if she retired too?

She had, after all, put in more than 20 years. She had attained the rank of Colonel. Her retirement package wouldn't suck. And there was always the possibility that she might be needed to consult on occasion. The same could be said for him.

Hmmm…

The letter of resignation started composing itself in her head. Suddenly part of her wanted to thank the IOA, for telling her she was no longer needed. Because the person she needed still 

needed her and he was available for the first time. This newfound freedom was addictive. Wherever this freedom took them, it would take them together from now on.

The End


End file.
